Hospitality leader earns $25,000 scholarship from Chick-fil-A

Focus and a positive outlook help keep this scholarship winner grounded

Committed, focused and determined – these are all traits that perfectly describe Matthew Nunez and his relentless pursuit of his dreams, despite the challenges he has had to endure.

His mother battled depression. His father fought a very rare form of cancer. He’s had to take time off school to help support his family. Through it all, he kept focused on his goal of earning a college degree and becoming a radiology technician.

Despite a schedule that requires him to rotate between working for Chick-fil-A and taking classes at El Paso Community College, Nunez has steadily moved up the ranks at the Chick-fil-A at North Hills Crossing in El Paso, Texas, transitioning from assistant leader of hospitality to marketing director to, now, executive director of hospitality.

“We hired Matthew for a Team Member role, but our whole leadership team saw his potential as a future leader,” said Marc Zayas, the franchise Operator at North Hills Crossing.

This past April, Zayas surprised Nunez with the news that he had been selected as one of 13 Chick-fil-A Team Members to receive a $25,000 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Scholarship for his outstanding leadership, academic achievement and community involvement.

Watch the video to see how Nunez and his family reacted to the news.

The True Inspiration Scholarship is part of Chick-fil-A’s Remarkable Futures initiative. Last year, more than 5,700 Team Members received $14.65 million in scholarships. Since 1973, nearly 46,700 Team Members have been awarded $61 million in scholarships.

When she was a child, Saskya Simon’s mother used to tell her, “the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” It’s a quote she has kept close to her heart, motivating her to work hard and be her best.